This is a blog intended to help people who are suffering from the dreaded sports hernia injury. Only a handful of doctors understand the sports hernia. The goal here is to create a collaboration of ideas in order to help those acheive relief, and to learn from one another regarding this condition and its related pains and dysfunctions.
*DISCLAIMER* I am NOT a doctor. All info, correct or not, is based on research and conversations with doctors and fellow sufferers!

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

a week ago i had some neuraltherapy injections along with manipulations performed by a skilled osteopath. one theory with neural therapy is that it works via releasing scar tissue in the body, allowing proper energy to flow through the nervous system. i happen (happened?) to have a TON of scar tissue around the left inguinal area and above the pubic bone. much of this tissue had been released with the structural integration sessions that i have been through, but due to the nature of the nerve pain, some of that scar tissue was/is just too tough and the nerves too deep to tend to it with fingers alone (at least that is my understanding of it).the doctor pointed out my scars on my left knee (where i have had 2 surgeries and pain issues) and shot them up first, immediately afterwards working the scars with what felt like pretty great force. apparently that caused a good release in the groin scarring.then cam injections into the sports hernia scars themselves, plus just above the pubic bone, and another into a trigger point along the edge of the rectus. again, he worked over the scars.i felt pretty immediate relief, but then again i had anesthesia in me. but the tissues were much looser feeling.i went through the next 2 days feeling ok till after i swam for about 45 minutes then rode a bike on flat pavement for about 15 minutes. since then i have had flareups of sharp pains like i remember in the beginning of some of the structural integration sessions. today is one week later and i swam 45 minutes this morning, and just got in from a 1 hour walk with hills involved. i feel pretty good, and the scar tissue is still much softer than it was before the shots.i am scheduled for more injections (etc?) in 2 weeks.

there have been lots of studies on chronic pain and how it comes to be. of course the AP injury can be the cause or such a nerve dysfunction. the groin contains many sensitive nerve endings.we know that the genital branch of the genitofemoral nerve is affected in the sports hernia.the ilioinguinal and iliohypogastric nerves can also be involved, especially if osteitis pubis sets in. as the rectus retreats from the pubic bone, those two nerves would tend to get irritated by the fascial changes.

another thing to consider is scar tissue, especially for those cases where the tear is severe enought to cause pain and is left untreated, while the condition worsens such as with an sports hernia-> osteitis pubis setup. as the microtears continue to happen, there will be more scar tissue growth. that scar tissue alone can irritate nerves, especially if it grows around the nerve, causing nerve ending entrapment.

with chronic pain, this long-term irritation has worked its way into the nerve ganglions up into the roots (found along spine). this basically means that the nervous system has reset its default settings and may be firing pain signals all the time, even after the injury has healed. with AP being an elusive diagnosis, one can see how this condition of chronic nerve irritation can happen.more later.

About Me

I received bilateral sports hernias in a sports accident. Many doctors were negligent for a year and a half before a proper diagnosis. No doctor had heard of a sports hernia before that point, until I had found my own expert surgeon via my own research and referral.
This is a common story that countless athletes and weekend warriors alike share.
If you suffer chronic groin pain, you may have come to the right blog.